And, we are on the doorstep of yet another NFL season.  And, you all know what that means:  everyone’s favorite game…THE BSB NFL PREVIEW!  Doogan won our first NFL preview 17-15, in 2008, but Bry responded with a come-from-behind 17-15 win in the 2009 version.  So, the 2010 preview is for the eternal bragging rights…for now.  Doogan had the first pick in 2009, so Bry will go first here in 2010.

BRY 1 – St. Louis Rams – OVER 1 win:  Doogan, let me warn you right now:  judging by the first pick, this is going to be really hard this year.  The last two first picks were easy with the Patriots coming off 16-0 and the Lions coming off 0-16.  Nothing was easy, and I don’t think it’s just the first pick that’ll be hard.  I had to start with the Rams.  I still think that this might be the worst team in football, but 1 win is a ridiculous number, and the OVER is a gimme, right?  Right?!?  The Rams and the OVER was my first pick last year (OVER 2 wins), and they finished 1-15 to screw me, but unabashed, I’m going for it again.

DOOGAN 2 – Washington Redskins – OVER 4 wins:  It takes a ton of talent, not only on the field but also on the sideline and upstairs in the offices, to make a successful NFL team.  But, if there are two men that are the most important in determining that success, it is the head coach and the quarterback.  The Skins made big upgrades at both of those spots this year, with Mike Shanahan and Donny Mac.  And they have enough talent at other spots to win half their games, even in a brutal division.

DOOGAN 3 – Detroit Lions – OVER 2 wins:  Working under a lot of the same logic as the above pick, I’ll take the Lions on the over.  Head coach Jim Schwartz and quarterback Matthew Stafford were both new to their roles last year, but there’s reason to think that both will end up being capable at their jobs.  Schwartz was a successful defensive coordinator, and he now has Ndamukong Suh, who could make an immediate impact on the D-Line.  Stafford has an elite receiver in Calvin Johnson, and with a little progress on both sides of the ball, the Lions can win 4-5 games.

BRY 4 – San Diego Chargers – UNDER 13 wins:  I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard to use my second pick on the UNDER for a team that is head and shoulders above anyone else in their division, but I’m going to, and I feel okay about it.  The Chargers will win the NFC West, but I do not think they will win 13 games.  They are not starting the season all that positively, with problems with two of their most important offensive players (Marcus McNeil and Vincent Jackson) to go along with lingering questions about their defense and perpetual questions about their head coach.  They’ll probably win 10, but not 13.

DOOGAN 5 – Indianapolis Colts – UNDER 14 wins:  It’s a big number and it’s a tough schedule.  Their division isn’t quite as strong as it was a couple years ago, but all three of the other teams are capable of beating the Colts if they have home-field advantage.  Plus, Indy plays at New England and Philly and gets Dallas and San Diego at home.  And even if they do manage to get towards the tail-end of the season with 12 or 13 wins, they’ll probably be able to rest their starters and take a loss or two.

BRY 6 – San Francisco 49ers – OVER 8 wins:  I like the Indy pick, Doogan, and was debating between that and SD with #4.  Now, at #6, I might be going out on a limb here, taking this team this early, but I honestly think that there is no way the Niners don’t find 9 wins this year.  Their defense is just too good; Singletary is too good of a coach; and that division is just so, SO bad.  Again, probably a “reach pick” at #6, but give me the Niners and the OVER.

DOOGAN 7 – Baltimore Ravens – OVER 9 wins:  For once I’m going to step in and take the over on a Baltimore team.  It’s usually all you, Bry.  With the rare turmoil going on in Pittsburgh, this squad looks like the clear-cut favorites in the AFC North.  Maybe they’ve lost a little bit defensively, mostly because of age, but time has been good to them on the other side of the ball, where their young talent is coming into its prime.  Ray Rice is a star, the O-Line really gets the job done, Derrick Mason hasn’t shown much sign of slowing down at 36-years-old, and now they have Anquan Boldin thrown in the mix.  They have the makings of a 12-win team. 

BRY 8 – Minnesota Vikings – UNDER 12 wins:  This is getting kind of tough already, but I’m okay with this pick at #8.  Despite their immense talent on both sides of the ball, there is just too much working against the Vikes right now.  Percy Harvin is a major question mark with, apparently, very serious migraines (doesn’t sound like fun); Sidney Rice hasn’t been on the field all offseason; Chester Taylor is gone; and, oh by the way, their quarterback is FORTY.  I think they’ll still be good and still be a contender for the NFC title, but I don’t think this the best team in their own division, and when has a second-place team ever won 12 games?  Give me the UNDER.

DOOGAN 9 – Arizona Cardinals – UNDER 10 wins:  With the departure of Kurt Warner, the Cards have decided to remake their offense.  Anquan Boldin is also gone, and Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca has been added to the O-Line.  It’s not necessarily a bad idea to put more focus on the running game, considering that Matt Leinart is no Warner, but that certainly doesn’t mean the offense will be better, either.  Also, Karlos Dansby, a really underrated linebacker, is gone to Miami and Antrel Rolle, a playmaking safety, is a Giant.  It seems like they went into the offseason with a plan, but it’s hard to make up for a big downgrade at the QB position.  They’re heading for a losing season.

BRY 10 - Oakland Raiders – OVER 5 wins:  Okay, this is stupid.  I admit it.  I’m dumb.  We have now done this preview three times, and all three times, I have taken the Raiders and the OVER.  I even said, in last year’s wrapup of my incorrect pick of the Raiders and the OVER, that someone (probably me) would be stupid enough to take the Raiders and the OVER again in 2010.  Well, I was right.  But, let me try one more time to explain why I think that the Raiders will win more than 5 games for the first time since their trip to the Super Bowl.  Jason Campbell is a gigantic upgrade at quarterback over JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski.  Also, last year, their defense was pretty good, and it’s very young, so you’d have to expect that it at least remains as good, if not improves.  Throw in a really weak division, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for…dare I say it…8-8?  Maybe.  But, I don’t see them going 5-11 AGAIN.

DOOGAN 11 – Kansas City Chiefs – OVER 4 wins:  It’s rare for me to feel this good about a pick once we’re through the top ten.  As far as the roster goes, there isn’t a huge difference here, but they did make some upgrades on the O-line, and Thomas Jones was brought aboard to share the load with up-and-comer Jamaal Charles in the backfield.  Maybe more importantly, they added Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as coordinators.  They may not be the masters they looked like a few years ago, but do both have multiple championship rings in their current role.  Finally, the schedule is a cake-walk.  Not only do they play in an underwhelming division, but they play the NFC West out of conference, and they also get the Browns and Bills.  I’ll call them for 7 wins.

BRY 12 – Denver Broncos – UNDER 8 wins:  This is tough because I’m not as bullish on KC as Doogan is, so I think that the AFC West is a bad division.  But, part of it being a bad division is because it includes the Denver Broncos.  This team looked really bad in the last 10 games of the season last year, and they lost their only two true stars on either side of the ball in Brandon Marshall (to a trade) and Elvis Doumerville (to injury).  The defense is old and not very good, while the offense has very few weapons surrounding a trio of bad quarterbacks.  Whether it’s Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn, or Tim Tebow, this is nowhere near a .500 team.

DOOGAN 13 – Carolina Panthers - UNDER 8 wins:  This team is similar to the Cardinals in that they’ve made a concious move to let some veterans walk and get younger.  Maybe not a bad idea for the future of the team, but it looks like their plan is to take one step back before trying to take two forward.  Julius Peppers and Muhsin Muhammad are gone (as well as Jake Delhomme, but that’s probably a good thing right away).  Coach John Fox is a lame-duck, in the last year of his contract and no negotiations in sight.  The rebuilding has begun in Carolina.

BRY 14 – New Orleans Saints – UNDER 13 wins:  Yes, the defending champs are still incredibly talented, but I’m willing to take my chances on the fact that they will not repeat their 13-3 regular season.  The schedule is a bit harder, and they are scrambling to find any semblence of a running game.  Plus, their defense was off-the-charts fortunate last year with takeaways (many for touchdowns).  I LOVE them at 13:1 to win the Super Bowl (the Vegas odds), but I do not like them to win 13+ games again, especially with an up-and-coming Atlanta team.

DOOGAN 15 – Cincinnati Bengals – UNDER 10 wins:  Ah, you stole my next pick there, Bry.  This Bengals team will be an interesting one to follow this year.  They shocked people (including me) in the first-half of last season, beating the Steelers and Ravens twice each and winning in Green Bay.  But they weren’t the same team in the second-half, culminating with a home playoff loss to the Jets.  Their biggest weakness last year, ironically based on what they were a few years ago, was the passing game.  They’ve added T.O., Antonio Bryant, and rookie Jordan Shipley to team with Ochocinco in the receiving corps, which should help, as long as T.O. and Ocho can keep some semblance of sanity.  BUT, can Cedric Benson duplicate his great season?  Is this defense really as good as it played for much of ’09?  I kind of doubt it.  And the schedule will do them NO favors: road games vs. the Colts, Pats, Ravens, Jets, Steelers, and Falcons, as well as visits to Cincy by the Saints and Chargers.  Really brutal.  Too many obstacles to overcome here, too many question marks, they’re heading for 7-8 wins.

BRY 16 – Miami Dolphins – OVER 7 wins:  I know this division is tough with the Jets and Pats, but I really like this Dolphins team.  Parcells’ ability to evaluate talent cannot be overstated, and he has now had three years to rework this roster.  Plus, I believe in Tony Sparano, and I actually really believe in Chad Henne, for some strange reason.  They also probably made one of the best offseason acquisitions in Brandon Marshall.  I like this team for somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 wins.

DOOGAN 17 - Cleveland Browns – UNDER 5 wins:  Alright, this just got real hard.  This could be one of those statments that comes back to haunt me, but I doubt it:  this team stinks!  Kudos to Eric Mangini for getting his team to play hard at the end of a lost season in ’09 (they won their last 4 after a 1-11 start), but I just don’t think that finish was a harbinger of things to come.  Yes, they may have found a nice running back in Jerome Harrison, but Jake Delhomme probably won’t be much of an upgrade at QB.  The defense is a mess, and it doesn’t help that arguably their most talented player on that side of the ball last year, LB Kamerion Wimbley, is gone to Oakland.  2 wins is very possible.  At least the Cleveland fans can look forward to basketball season, oh wait….

BRY 18 – Atlanta Falcons – OVER 9 wins:  Ooh, Doogan, you throw that jab at Cleveland right after I picked Miami and the OVER?  Rough.  Anyway, you’re right in that this has gotten real tough.  I’m going to take the Falcons because I think that the Bucs stink, the Panthers are mediocre at best, and the Saints will not be 13-3.  Plus, the Falcons have a somewhat easier schedule than a year ago, and their young quarterback is a year older.  I’m not usually big on the “sleeper” that everyone has, but I do think that this team is going back to the playoffs this year, which probably means at least 10 wins.

DOOGAN 19 – Tennessee Titans – UNDER 8 wins:  I’ve always been a Jeff Fisher fan, and of course I’m a Chris Johnson fan, but everybody knows that this league is all about the passing game right now.  Vince Young continues to show potential, but I don’t trust him to ever put it together, and especially not with his current corps of receivers.  Making matters worse, the defense ranked second-to-last against the pass last year, and didn’t make any major changes to improve.  If you can’t throw the ball effectively and you can’t stop the pass, you don’t win half your games in the NFL in 2010.

BRY 20 – Chicago Bears – OVER 7 wins:  Jay Cutler had a really bad year last year, but I’m not convinced that he’s a really bad quarterback.  We will find out this year, though, because he’s operating under the Mike Martz system, so it’s boom or boost for the Chicago passing attack (why a team with an outside stadium in the “Windy City” hires a guy like Mike Martz is beyond me, but hey, at least half of their division plays in a dome, right?).  Plus, the Bears defense should be greatly improved, considering their two best defenders are brand new from last year’s defense.  Brian Urlacher is back from missing the entire 2009 season with an injury, and say what you will about whether he’s worth the money, there is little doubt that Julius Peppers is still a stalwart defensive lineman.  The only reason it took me this long to make this pick is because their division is really good, but I still think the Bears are at least a .500 team this year.

DOOGAN 21 – Jacksonville Jaguars – UNDER 7 wins:  Somewhat similar to the Titans.  They have a star back in Maurice Jones-Drew (though he’s no Chris Johnson), but the passing game is underwhelming, with a very average QB in David Garrard and not many weapons to use.  And, this team was really built on solid defense for a lot of years, but that is no longer the case; the Jags ranked 27th in opponent passing yardage in ’09.  The nail in the coffin for their quest to get 7 wins is probably the fact that they have to matchup with the NFC East out of conference.

BRY 22 – Buffalo Bills – UNDER 6 wins:  I’ve been staring at this pick for about 10 rounds now, and I’m finally ready to pull the trigger.  To quote Doogan quoting me “this team stinks.”  No, seriously, they are really bad.  I have to imagine that they’ll go no better than 1-5 in AFC East games, which means that to beat me, they would have to play .500 ball against the rest of their schedule.  I’m not sure if this team even goes .500 in an SEC schedule, let alone an NFL schedule.  The more I think about it, the more I like this pick for being this late in the game here.

DOOGAN 23 – Dallas Cowboys – UNDER 11 wins:  The usual disclaimer here: it’s very hard for me to be unbiased about this team.  But, this organization hasn’t responded well to high expectations of late.  After 12 wins in ’07, they dropped to 9 in ’08.  They came on strong at the end of last year to win the division, and now I’m sure the Dallas fans are expecting nothing less than a title.  I don’t think Wade Phillips is up to the job.  I’m not sure that Miles Austin can repeat what he did last year, and I don’t know where they make up for that production in the passing game if he can’t.  And they have to handle a tough schedule.  Besides the 6 divisional games, they also have road games at the Colts, Packers, and Vikings, and the Saints play in Dallas.

BRY 24 – New York Giants – UNDER 8 wins:  Well, Doogan, since you took the bait on your team with “an unbiased hatred,” I guess I have to take mine, as well.  Same disclaimer here for me and the G-Men.  I have said a hundred times now, “If the Giants were playing a game against North Korea, I’d be rooting for Kim Jong-Il and the boys.”  That being said, there are serious question marks about this team.  I know that a lot of “experts” actually like them to bounce back and have a good season, but I don’t see it.  Let’s break it down a little here and tell me where I’m wrong.  Eli is not as bad as I make him out to be, but he’s NOWHERE NEAR a star in this league.  The O-line has gotten very old very fast.  Brandon Jacobs is just about completely washed up because of the punishment he’s taken over the years.  And, I don’t see why everyone loves this receiving corps.  They’re “okay,” I guess, but nothing special.  Now, on the other side.  This defense was one of the worst in the entire league last year.  Yes, Bill Sheridan was a joke as a D-coordinator and Perry Fewell is a pretty big upgrade, but do we really think that the D-coordinator is gonna be the difference?  Really?  The linebacking corps was downright abysmal last year and the only change is that they LOST their only reliable linebacker, Antonio Pierce.  The D-line once led them to a shocking Super Bowl title, but Osi is unhappy and unproductive, Justin Tuck was much better when he wasn’t double-teamed, and this Pierre-Paul guy is a total project.  They did add Antrelle Rolle to the secondary, which is a good addition (albeit an overpaid one), but he’s not exactly Bob Sanders or Darrelle Revis, and the rest of the group is barely average.  A brutal division and a tough out-of-division schedule equates to no more than 6 or 7 wins for the most overrated team in football year in and year out.  Now, THAT was unbiased analysis…

DOOGAN 25 – New York Jets – OVER 9 wins:  OK, I guess this is the hyped team this year that neither of us wanted to “take the bait” on, but here I go.  Obviously, the Darelle Revis holdout is a factor in waiting so long to make this pick.  The fear of the overhyped team also plays in, of course.  They feel like they could very well be this year’s version of the Bears last year.  BUT, I think they’re going to win 10 games, so I’m barely going OVER.  Revis would be a huge loss, but this was the best defense in the game last year, so they’ll still be very good there, even without him.  On offense, Shonn Greene should have a big year running behind a really good O-Line, and Mark Sanchez has some new weapons, mainly Santonio Holmes.  Laveranues Coles, a good teammate and wily veteran, also returns for his third stint with the Jets.  They also catch some breaks with the schedule, as their only tough road game out of the division is at Pittsburgh.

BRY 26 – Pittsburgh Steelers – OVER 9 wins:  Actually, Doogan, Revis wasn’t the reason I passed on the Jets so many times, it was Sanchez.  I’m not a believer yet.  But, still, if I was forced to make a pick, I would have taken the OVER as well, so it’s not a bad pick, especially this late.  Anyway, I’m going to take the Steelers and the OVER here, for a couple of reasons, most notably, it’s getting really hard to find any picks I’m confident in with the teams left.  But, more so, I look at this team–two years removed from Super Bowl champs, with pretty much the same team.  Yes, I know that Big Ben is probably going to be out for the first four games, and I think they’ll go 1-3 in those 4, with their only win coming against Tampa Bay.  However, I think that when Ben gets back, this will be one of the best teams in the league, so I can totally see them going 9-3 with a full team.  Plus, they were 9-7 last year (including bad losses to Cleveland and Oakland).  The losses?  Santonio Holmes and 1/4 of Big Ben.  The additions?  Troy Polamalu.  The best safety, maybe in NFL history, is a full win better than a #2 wideout and 4 games without a QB.

DOOGAN 27 – Philadelphia Eagles – UNDER 11 wins:  Well, if the Birds have sat there until this late in the draft, that probably means that neither of us could talk ourselves into taking the OVER, which probably means that this is the right way to go.  I do have confidence in Kevin Kolb.  And saying that has more to do with my confidence in the QB evaluation of Andy Reid, as well as the talent of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Brent Celek.  I do have some concerns about LeSean McCoy and the running game, in general.  Also, the defense imploded in those two losses to Dallas to end the season.  I’m hopeful that Stewart Bradley and Ernie Sims can stabilizie the linebacking corps, but I’m still skeptical.  And the lost starter that I feel like we might not have the right replacement for isn’t Donovan McNabb, but Sheldon Brown.  Can Ellis Hobbs get the job done?  Will Nate Allen be ready to be a reliable safety from Day 1 in the league?  I like the team, but all those variables combined with playing in such a tough division means I have to go UNDER.  If the four teams beat each other up enough, 10 wins could mean the top of the division, and hopefully that will be where the Eagles end up.

BRY 28 – New England Patriots – OVER 10 wins:  Ya, Doogan, I think you picked the right side on the Birds, but I also agree that 10 wins is certainly a possibility and that could win the division, but I definitely don’t see 12.  As for this next pick, I’m just going to go with my gut here, and my gut always tells me that quarterbacking, coaching, and line play is what wins in the modern-day NFL, and the Patriots most certainly have the first two in spades, and the line play is still really good.  I actually think that this offense might be poised for a huge breakout season because Brady is now two years removed from the ACL injury (usually a two-year full recovery) and Welker is back and looking relatively good.  The defense is not really anywhere near where it was when this team was dynastic, and the running game gives me pause, but I still think this team is heading for 11+ wins and another AFC East title.

DOOGAN 29 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – OVER 3 wins:  Obviously, this is a bad team.  An organization revered for its talent in the front seven on defense has VERY little to speak of there anymore.  Their starting wide outs this year are Reggie Brown and a rookie 4th-round pick, and Josh Freeman will be the one attempting to get them the ball.  So, why go OVER?  Mainly, of course, because 3 is a low number.  But, also, some positives:  Cadillac Williams running the ball.  Kellen Winslow finally living up to his potential at tight end.  Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib at the corners.  And also, the schedule.  They actually played a real tough schedule last year, and two of their wins were over the Packers and the Saints (in New Orleans).  This year, they have home games against the Browns, Lions, Rams, and Seahawks.  They should be able to take two or three of those, then they just have to steal one or two from their other 12 games.

BRY 30 – Seattle Seahawks – OVER 5 wins:  I struggled with this one, but eventually went with the Seahawks and the OVER here.  I don’t think this team is very good, but this division is really bad, and 6 wins is not a lot in this league.  Pete Carroll is here and, despite his “ethics,” he is a good coach and there is a little bit of talent on this team.

DOOGAN 31 – Green Bay Packers – UNDER 11 wins:  Like the team.  Aaron Rodgers should have another huge year.  I’m just gonna go UNDER because that’s easier with the 11 number, also their road schedule is pretty brutal.  7 of their 8 road games could be pretty tough.  And, there are some concerns with the defense.  They were good last year and they have a lot of talent, but they were also inconsistent for some reason, giving up 51 points to the Cardinals in their playoff loss, and 500 yards passing to Ben Roethlisberger a few weeks before that.

BRY 32 – Houston Texans – UNDER 9 wins:  So, I guess the Texans are the hardest to predict a change in, huh?  It makes sense, they look very much like a 9-7 team.  But, judging by history, I think it’s more likely that they’ll be 8-8 than 10-6.  They do have weapons with the best receiver in the league and maybe the most underrated quarterback.  But, they are losing Brian Cushing for four games off the defense, and I just don’t think they have 10-win talent.  Plus, I think Kubiak is not a very good coach.